survivor girl ukulele band

survivor boy??? ukulele band

did i mention the boys? yes! i’m now teaching ukulele to boys — because boys are survivors of human trafficking, too.

a few weeks ago i started taking the trek out to the odanadi boys home. it’s two hours away. one of those hours is on a bus, and the other is trudging a dusty road in the blazing sun.

it’s quite a breath of fresh air to be out at the boys home. the boys — in contrast to my girl students who fight, yell, and slap a lot — are very kind to each other. they play ball together, and the bigger ones look out for the little ones, and they’re so well-behaved and attentive that even though i arrive at the boys home wilted and windblown, i leave refreshed and inspired.

on the way back to town gajendra* gives me a ride on the back of his ancient bicycle, which is outfitted with a super-comfortable wire book-holder contraption. the bumpy dirt and stone road makes the ride a real treat. and keeping my feet off the ground gives my core a good workout, too. it’s a very glamorous and exotic life that i lead here in india.

binod*, who had to wait for the second batch class, was so excited to learn how to play ukulele he started practicing on the box 🙂

kayaan* is a natural talent with a great ear. he picks it up so quickly i feel like a teaching genius.

this is chandresh*. he’s eight years old and he says, “sister!” and when he has my attention he says, “sister. slowly.” and then he shows me what he’s learned.

even though the boys classes started after the girls, they are quickly catching up. i see joy and a sense of accomplishment on their faces, and i feel so privileged to be here doing this survivor boy??? ukulele band thing.

i couldn’t do this with out the many back home who pray for me, encourage me, and fund me. thank you for being part of the band.

*names are changed

p.s. in the hot season, i have since started taking an auto-rickshaw to and from the boys home — which saves not only time, but a lot of wear and tear 🙂